But the paper said a central bank digital currency would also raise policy questions, including “how it might affect financial-sector market structure, the cost and availability of credit, the safety and stability of the financial system and the efficacy of monetary policy.”
A Guide to Cryptocurrency
Card 1 of 7A glossary. Cryptocurrencies have gone from a curiosity to a viable investment, making them almost impossible to ignore. If you are struggling with the terminology, let us help:
Bitcoin. A Bitcoin is a digital token that can be sent electronically from one user to another, anywhere in the world. Bitcoin is also the name of the payment network on which this form of digital currency is stored and moved.
Blockchain. A blockchain is a database maintained communally, that reliably stores digital information. The original blockchain was the database on which all Bitcoin transactions were stored, but non-currency-based companies and governments are also trying to use blockchain technology to store their data.
Cryptocurrencies. Since Bitcoin was first conceived in 2008, thousands of other virtual currencies, known as cryptocurrencies, have been developed. Among them are Ether, Dogecoin and Tether.
Coinbase. The first major cryptocurrency company to list its shares on a U.S. stock exchange, Coinbase is a platform that allows people and companies to buy and sell various digital currencies, including Bitcoin, for a transaction fee.
Crypto finance. The development of cryptocurrencies spawned a parallel universe of alternative financial services, known as Decentralized Finance, or DeFi, allowing crypto businesses to move into traditional banking territory, including lending and borrowing.
NFTs. A “nonfungible token,” or NFT, is an asset verified using blockchain technology, in which a network of computers records transactions and gives buyers proof of authenticity and ownership. NFTs make digital artworks unique, and therefore sellable.
The Fed paper also seemed to slam the door on several possibilities — including the idea that a central bank digital currency could be created alongside consumer bank accounts at the Fed, something Democrats and proponents of broader financial inclusion have at times suggested.
“The Federal Reserve Act does not authorize direct Federal Reserve accounts for individuals, and such accounts would represent a significant expansion of the Federal Reserve’s role in the financial system and the economy,” the paper said, suggesting such accounts would need to be intermediated by banks and other service providers.
Commercial banks, for their part, have been worried that the creation of a central bank digital currency and Fed accounts could take away their deposit base and upend their business model. The paper probably does not address all their concerns, but may serve to alleviate the possibility that consumers could fully leapfrog the traditional banking system.
The Fed’s paper pointed out that design choices could mitigate disruption to the banking system — and that disruption may be bound to happen regardless.
“A C.B.D.C. could spur innovation by banks and other actors and would be a safer deposit substitute than many other products, including stablecoins and other types of nonbank money,” the paper said. “These forms of nonbank money could cause a shift in deposits away from banks even without a C.B.D.C.”
The Fed is asking for public comment on more than 20 questions about central bank digital currencies, and is accepting responses for the next 120 days.